'No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everyone on the couch'

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher

"Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it's hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run." -Monte Davis

Kristen, I just started using one. I have bought 10hrs. Will use one hr of them today. As I try to keep whats left of my sanity as I try to heal and kid myself into thinking I can still finish boston with the torn MCL and medial meniscal tear. I did a run on monday first in a mth and it was great. No pain but only 60% of my body weight. The cost is kinda high but my wife said it was money well spent as my bitchy attitude to quote her was gone and her normal husband returned not the Broken cranky one she has been dealing with since I slipped on the ice after a snow storm while out for a run. my plan is to use it twice a week for the next 3 weeks and build to some long runs of 2hr blocks. Doug.

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."

I was wondering if this could help my rehab from chronic achilles problems. £200 (Sterling) for 10 x 1hr sessions (can be lumped together if you want a 2 or 3hr run). It is cheaper than physio... but still... will 10hrs running on it help me that much?

Kristen, I just started using one. I have bought 10hrs. Will use one hr of them today. As I try to keep whats left of my sanity as I try to heal and kid myself into thinking I can still finish boston with the torn MCL and medial meniscal tear. I did a run on monday first in a mth and it was great. No pain but only 60% of my body weight. The cost is kinda high but my wife said it was money well spent as my bitchy attitude to quote her was gone and her normal husband returned not the Broken cranky one she has been dealing with since I slipped on the ice after a snow storm while out for a run. my plan is to use it twice a week for the next 3 weeks and build to some long runs of 2hr blocks. Doug.

I completely understand what you are going through. Can you cut the hours into 30 min? I'm just wondering if an hour isn't too much. You might be better off stretching it out and doing 30 min at least the first few visits.

I was wondering if this could help my rehab from chronic achilles problems. £200 (Sterling) for 10 x 1hr sessions (can be lumped together if you want a 2 or 3hr run). It is cheaper than physio... but still... will 10hrs running on it help me that much?

I'm not sure about chronic achilles issues but I did have some achilles swelling and tenderness following my last half. I used the AG three times a week and ran the other 4 outdoors. It is 100% now. I also iced, massaged, did gentle stretching and avoided hills/inclines while it was healing.

One thing I've learned recently is not to confuse recovery running on the AG with performance training. I was mixing the two because the perceived effort is reduced. It is hard to run easy on the AG when you feel better than you've felt running on the ground in a long time while using it. It is a great tool when used appropriately. I really don't know how I could have done what I've done since Sept without it.

I was wondering if this could help my rehab from chronic achilles problems. £200 (Sterling) for 10 x 1hr sessions (can be lumped together if you want a 2 or 3hr run). It is cheaper than physio... but still... will 10hrs running on it help me that much?

Purdey:

I've never used AG treadmill and I actually do have a rather mixed feeling about it. If it works, all the power to it. But I've had a bad case of Achilles problem for a long time. The thing about Achilles problem is, from my own experience, that you are better of using it (your Achilles, not AG). You need to increase blood flow and it's probably better if you stretch out a bit. That said, I'm sure you know too, it hurts like hell.

What's intriguing about AG treadmill is; that you are running quite a bit faster--or I should say you CAN run quite a bit faster--but you are not. In other words, your muscles are not really being stimulated in the same rate as normal running (not the same resistance) but neuromuscluar circuit and range of motion are. In other words, if you are having a weight-bearing issue like shin split or knee problem, AG should work well. But if you're having a range-of-motion issue like tendonitis or muscle pull, I'm not sure if it's actually a good idea to even use it. Bear in mind, I'm not even sure if stretching further would help or hurt in a case of Achilles problem. Some degree of stretch should help but in excess? I don't know. A tricky part is; like I said, it'll hurt; but I'm not sure if it's necessarily a bad thing...

Kristen has been harrassing me to give her some estimate of pace equivalent but, honestly, my honest answer to that is; "I don't know". I haven't quite sat down and tried to figure out +s and -s to say yay or nay about AG. But my gut feeling tells me that, unless absolutely necessary, I'd be cautious about using it.

I've never used AG treadmill and I actually do have a rather mixed feeling about it. If it works, all the power to it. But I've had a bad case of Achilles problem for a long time. The thing about Achilles problem is, from my own experience, that you are better of using it (your Achilles, not AG). You need to increase blood flow and it's probably better if you stretch out a bit. That said, I'm sure you know too, it hurts like hell.

What's intriguing about AG treadmill is; that you are running quite a bit faster--or I should say you CAN run quite a bit faster--but you are not. In other words, your muscles are not really being stimulated in the same rate as normal running (not the same resistance) but neuromuscluar circuit and range of motion are. In other words, if you are having a weight-bearing issue like shin split or knee problem, AG should work well. But if you're having a range-of-motion issue like tendonitis or muscle pull, I'm not sure if it's actually a good idea to even use it. Bear in mind, I'm not even sure if stretching further would help or hurt in a case of Achilles problem. Some degree of stretch should help but in excess? I don't know. A tricky part is; like I said, it'll hurt; but I'm not sure if it's necessarily a bad thing...

Kristen has been harrassing me to give her some estimate of pace equivalent but, honestly, my honest answer to that is; "I don't know". I haven't quite sat down and tried to figure out +s and -s to say yay or nay about AG. But my gut feeling tells me that, unless absolutely necessary, I'd be cautious about using it.

Could it give a person a false sense of training( I mean, your actually training..duh..Im NOT taking away from that!! )? Does that make sense? Meaning..if you use it and use it for training (while rehabbing an injury) like say for a road race..do you risk getting hurt when it comes time to actually race? Does any of that make sense? I know what Im trying to say but it's not comming out properly..lol

Could it give a person a false sense of training( I mean, your actually training..duh..Im NOT taking away from that!! )? Does that make sense? Meaning..if you use it and use it for training (while rehabbing an injury) like say for a road race..do you risk getting hurt when it comes time to actually race? Does any of that make sense? I know what Im trying to say but it's not comming out properly..lol

I am pretty sure that I follow you, and yes, I tend to think this can be an issue with the AG if used as a form of training, especially if you are using it during rehab or nursing an injury and in place of running at normal gravity due to that injury. I kinda equate it to pool running(in concept). When you are injured or going thru a rehab cycle, pool running is a great way to take the load off your body, stimulate the running muscles, and maintain a base cardio fitness. But does that mean you can log pool running miles and do "tempo work" and such as training, then jump into that race you didn't want to give up? Heck no. That is a recipe for disaster. So, with pool running, while it is great for rehab and base cardio, you still have to treat it for what it is and once the injury is better or will support normal running, you then have to work slowly back into training and cautiously build back up, I think it is roughly the same with the AG. It makes people believe that they can keep training, and to an extent, stay on goal, which will allow them to not lose much ground and/or still race that goal race they had. Again, a recipe for disaster, in my opinion. I tend to agree with Nobby's line of thinking on this. I think the AG can be a great tool for some rehab situations or for athletes who are testing the peak performance of their natural capabilities, but for the average runner to use it as a training tool because they are rehabbing or nursing an injury... not so much. And I think it is a slippery slope to use it that way.

I was wondering if this could help my rehab from chronic achilles problems. £200 (Sterling) for 10 x 1hr sessions (can be lumped together if you want a 2 or 3hr run). It is cheaper than physio... but still... will 10hrs running on it help me that much?

I don't know if it would help your specific problem, but pool running in deep water can give a lot of the aerobic benefits and the massaging effect of the water too, without stressing the AT. And you can do it for the cost of a belt and admission to the pool.

The process is the goal.

Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.

This gives me an idea, Build a bungee contraption that will hold me up (like those jumps at the mall), with the ability to adjust the tension on those ropes holding me up, then run on the treadmill (which is in the garage with open beams I can hook the ropes to). Probably will look like a complete dork but will cost less than a hundred dollars at worst.